


The One Where the Riptide Guys Meet Simon & Simon

by der_tanzer



Category: Riptide (TV), Simon and Simon (TV)
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-16
Updated: 2011-12-16
Packaged: 2017-10-27 10:14:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/294619
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/der_tanzer/pseuds/der_tanzer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A new jail leads to new friendships.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The One Where the Riptide Guys Meet Simon & Simon

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Monika](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Monika/gifts).



> Written for a LiveJournal fic meme.

“I hate San Diego,” Nick grumbled.

“You hate everything,” Cody replied, half-laughing.

“I hate being in jail, no matter where it is,” Murray said, cutting right to the chase. The three officers escorting them exchanged eye rolls and one of them spoke.

“No one cares what you hate. You’re here until you post bail, and even then you can’t leave town. Better make yourselves comfortable, kids.” One by one, they were uncuffed and shoved into a small cell with two other men, who had already claimed the only bunks. The door clanged behind them and the officers walked away laughing.

“Can’t leave town? Guys, this is impossible. What about our case?”

“Forget our case, Boz. We can’t even make bail,” Cody reminded him. “We’re just going to have to sit this one out.”

“Did I hear you say you were working on a case?” asked the man on the top bunk. He was the bigger of the two, his dark hair and mustache a sharp contrast to the other man’s thick blond shag and smoothly shaven skin. “What kind of work do you do?”

“We’re private detectives,” Murray said, recovering a little of his cheerfulness. “Unfortunately, our case led us here and we’re in a bit of trouble.”

“Is that right? So happens we’re PIs, too. M’name’s Rick Simon and this is my little brother, A.J.”

“Really? Oh, that’s interesting. You’re—Wait, I’ve heard of you,” Murray rambled, suddenly very interested. “Simon & Simon Investigations, right? We’ve handled some of your—uh—former clients. We’re from King Harbor. The Riptide Detective Agency? You probably haven’t heard of us. Anyway, I’m Murray Bozinsky, and these are my partners—”

“I’ve heard of you,” A.J. interrupted, sitting up suddenly. “Dr. Bozinsky. Our office uses your database software. I was amazed when we found it. It’s like it was made for private detectives.” Murray smiled, blushing shyly, and it was A.J.’s turn to be abashed. “But I guess it was, wasn’t it?”

“Sort of, yes. I meant for it to be as multipurpose as possible, but of course it was modeled on my own needs.” He walked over to the bunk and sat down beside A.J. as if they were old friends.

“Murray didn’t finish introducing us,” Nick said, seeing that he was lost to them. “I’m Nick Ryder and this is our other partner, Cody Allen.”

“Pleased to meet you,” Rick said with a wave. “You really feel the need to come all the way up here to poach our clients?”

“It wasn’t our idea,” Cody said hotly, reacting to the words rather than the attitude. Nick laid a restraining hand on his arm, inadvertently giving away their entire relationship in one gesture. The only reason more people didn’t know was that more people didn’t look. Rick saw everything.

“It really wasn’t,” Nick said easily, giving Cody’s arm a gentle squeeze. “We were hired to do a job in King Harbor but the clues led us up here. You must’ve heard about the adoption records scandal, right? That county storage unit with all the ‘lost’ files?”

“Yep, we heard of it. Lot of people suddenly getting information about their families these past few weeks,” Rick said. His tone was interested, almost inviting, and even Cody relaxed.

“That’s right,” Nick continued. “A woman hired us because when she got her information, she found out she was a twin. She has a sister that she didn’t know about and she wanted us to track her down. We finally got the sister’s name and it turns out she lives in San Diego.”

“Huh. So what’re you all doing in here?”

“Oh, well,” Cody said lamely when Nick went silent. “We—uh—went by the sister’s house and she wasn’t there. A neighbor saw us skulking around the yard and called the cops.”

“Hey, it happens to the best of us.”

“What about you?” Nick asked. “How come you’re sitting in your hometown jail on a Saturday night?”

“Me?” he repeated, as if he could hardly remember. “Oh, it’s nothing. A guy in a bar threatened my brother and I pulled a gun on him. They made a whole big thing of it. Can’t imagine why.”

“You never can,” A.J. said fondly. “First day of school our mom told him to look out for me and I haven’t been able to get him to stop.”

“And you never will. You know why? She still calls me up and reminds me.”

Murray laughed and it was A.J.’s turn to blush. It was a little too cute to resist. Especially when their conversation was going so well.

“So, are you guys in for the weekend, too?” he asked, trying to sound casual. A.J.’s smile disappeared and that answered that.

“Afraid not,” Rick said, genuinely regretful. He really did know everything about his brother. “Our lawyer’s coming to bail us out.”

“Oh. Well, that’s good. More room for us, right?” Murray said, failing to lighten even his own mood. He’d been looking forward to getting to know the younger Simon a little better. A.J. patted his hand in consolation, which everyone but Rick pretended not to see.

“This is probably her now,” Rick said as the jingle of keys and staccato tapping of high heels approached.

Everyone turned to look, there not being anything else to see, but the Riptide detectives’ reactions stunned the Simon brothers. Nick and Cody were open-mouthed, staring first at Janet and then at each other, and Murray seemed to forget A.J. instantly.

“Nicole?” Cody whispered.

“No, it can’t be,” Nick whispered back. “Nicole’s a little heavier and her hair’s different, but—no, it can’t be.”

“Rick, A.J.? Is everything okay?” she asked nervously.

“Don’t ask us,” A.J. shrugged.

“Are you Janet Fowler?” Murray asked excitedly. “Wow, this is so amazing. We were arrested in your backyard.”

“You were _what_? Who—Rick, who _are_ these guys?”

“They’re the Riptide Detective Agency,” he said with a grin. “And I think they have a surprise for you. But first you better see about dropping the charges against them.”


End file.
